1) Not What the Siren Sang but What the Frag Ment, from borders (1967) (1:27)
2) One Sing, from borders (1967) (0:18)
3) Cycle No. 17, from borders (1967) (0:20)

2.
The following poems come from the first side of the phonodisc Motherlove, published in 1968 by Allied Record Corporation (Toronto, Ontario). The second side of the phonodisc will be available on the forthcoming 2-CD collection The Collected Sound Poems of bpNichol, to be published by Talonbooks (http://www.talonbooks.com/).

1) The Incest Song, from Motherlove (1968) (2:31)
2) Bill Bissett’s Lullaby, from Motherlove (1968) (1:05)
3) A Hum for Stevie Winwood, from Motherlove (1968) (0:46)
4) M.L.’s Dream, from Motherlove (1968) (1:12)
5) Historical Implications of Turnips, from Motherlove (1968) (0:29)
6) Pleasure Sweets, from Motherlove (1968) (4:35)

3.
The following are all of the poems from the rare 60-minute cassette bp Nichol, published in 1971 by High Barnet Company (Toronto, Ontario).

1) Love Poem for Gertrude Stein, bp Nichol (1971) (2:13)
2) Flower Eyes, bp Nichol (1971) (1:37)
3) Son of Sonnet, bp Nichol (1971) (2:52)
4) Clouds / Auguries / Sons and Divinations, bp Nichol (1971) [later appeared in The Martyrology: Book II, Coach House Press 1972] (22:41)
5) Friends as Footnotes, bp Nichol (1971) [later appeared in The Martyrology: Book II, Coach House Press 1972] (13:59)
6) Music, bp Nichol (1971) [later appeared in love: a book of remembrances, Talonbooks 1974] (0:49)
7) A Small Song that is His, bp Nichol (1971) [later appeared in love: a book of remembrances, Talonbooks 1974] (0:42)
8) Clover, bp Nichol (1971) [later appeared in love: a book of remembrances, Talonbooks 1974] (5:16)
9) A Hum for Reub, bp Nichol (1971) (1:05)
10) Hiroshima Mon Amour, bp Nichol (1971) (1:36)
11) Beast (for Hugo Ball), bp Nichol (1971) (6:05)

4.
The following are all of the poems from the split 7” single Appendix, published in 1978 by Black Moss Press (BM 101) (Windsor, Ontario); this was issued as part of Sean O’Huigin’s POE TREE: A Simple Introduction to Experimental Poetry. Recording by R. Hindley-Smith and Starborne Productions.

1) The Child in Me, Appendix (1978) (0:28)
2) Winwood’s Hum, Appendix (1978) (0:28)
3) Flower Eyes, Appendix (1978) (1:06)
4) M.L.’s Dream, Appendix (1978) (1:09)
5) War & Peace, Appendix (1978) (0:17)
6) I’d love just once to see you in the nude (with trumpet concerto), Appendix (1978) (3:19)
7) A Hum for Reub on his 22nd, Appendix (1978) (0:56)

5.
The following are all of the poems from the 60-minute cassette Ear Rational: Sound Poems 1966-1980, published in 1982 by Membrane Press New Fire Tapes (Milwaukee). Note that beside each poem-title is the year in which Nichol composed the piece. Making brief appearances are the voices of Michael Dean, Paul Dutton, Steve McCaffery, David Penhale, Steven Smith (now Steven Ross Smith), and Richard Truhlar (see jwcurry’s “Notes toward a beepliography,” Open Letter 6 th series, No. 5-6: Summer-Fall 1986: 249-270.) Nichol also included a brief statement inside the 5-panel offset lead for the cassette:

“Dada Lama” was recorded at CBC Studios (Toronto) circa 1969. “The Alphabet Game” was recorded at CBC Studios (Toronto) circa 1972. “Acres Rare Meet” was recorded live in Toronto, October 1977. All others were recorded at the studios of T.R.G. January 10, 1982.

“Cosmic Piece for Orchestra & Chorus” is performed by Steve McCaffery (voice & vocorder) & bpNichol (voice & cheap cassette). “Acres Rare Meet” is performed by Michael Dean, Paul Dutton, Steve McCaffery, David Penhale, Steven Smith & Richard Truhlar. The woman's voice on “The Alphabet Game” is that of a friend of the producer who, unfortunately, i have lost all record of. All other voices are my own.

Ear Rational contains all the single voice pieces i composed in the years 1970 thru 1980 other than sections of The Martyrology Bk V & a part of the May Day Book. In addition i have included: a live recording of the only seven voice piece i've done, “Acres Rare Meet”; an alternate version of “Dada Lama,” previously unreleased; the first adequate realization of my composition “Cosmic Piece for Orchestra & Chorus”; & the only remaining unrecorded single voice text from the 60's – “Ballads Of The Restless Are.” In the seventies i put the bulk of my energy in sound into composing for & with the Four Horsemen. In the single voice pieces the interest began to shift toward the more narrative & prose-based concerns evident in the most recent compositions on this tape, “Interrupted Nap” & “Art in Upheaval.” This cassette is dedicated to Steve McCaffery, my partner in the Crimes in both the Toronto Research Group & the Four Horsemen.

-bpNichol, Toronto, January 1982

1) Dada Lama (1966), Ear Rational (1982) (2:12)
2) Pome Poem (1972), Ear Rational (1982) (2:34)
3) 060173 (1973), Ear Rational (1982) (1:06)
4) Eight Part Suite (1972), Ear Rational (1982) (2:11)
5) Cosmic Piece for Orchestra & Chorus (1969), Ear Rational (1982)
6) Art in Upheaval (begun 1979), Ear Rational (1982) (5:36)
7) Generations Generated (1977), Ear Rational (1982) (9:32)
8) Afternoon Attentions (1973), Ear Rational (1982) (1:44)
9) meeln (1973), Ear Rational (1982) (0:23)
10) Acres Rare Meet (1977), Ear Rational (1982) (7:01)
11) Ballads of the Restless Are (1967), Ear Rational (1982) (8:49)
12) White Text Sure: Version I (1978), Ear Rational (1982) (5:29)
13) Outsize Reference (1973), Ear Rational (1982)
14) Translating Translating Apollinaire (1978), Ear Rational (1982) (3:50)
15) The Alphabet Game (1972), Ear Rational (1982) (5:23)
16) Interrupted Nap (1976-80), Ear Rational (1982) (1:55)

6.
The following poems are live solo performances by bpNichol. This material comes from the archives of The Four Horsemen, courtesy Paul Dutton. This first piece was performed with The Four Horsemen during the 99¢ Floating Theatre Festival at the Frick Fine Arts Building, University of Pittsburgh, on November 10th, 1978 (Day 2 of 3).

Probable Systems #8, from The Four Horsemen Archives (8:53)

7.
The following piece was performed with The Four Horsemen at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, on March 5th, 1980.

Four Lives, from The Four Horsemen Archives (7:17)

8.
The following pieces were read by bpNichol during the launch in Toronto of Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985) on February 20th, 1986.

1) Introduction (1:35)
2) Emblems [appears in Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985)] (2:38)
3) Blizzard [appears in Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985)] (0:47)
4) For Steve [appears in Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985)] (1:46)
5) from Catullus XXVIII [appears in Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985)] (1:39)
6) from Catullus LI [appears in Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985)] (1:09)
7) Lament [appears in Zygal: A Book of Mysteries and Translations (Coach House Press, 1985)] (1:30)

9.
The following poems were recorded by bpNichol in Torino, Italy in April 1987 and were released as a cassette tape in 1990 as part of Paté de Voix 4 (an imprint of Offerta Speciale, published by Carla Bertola and Alberto Vitacchio). The voices of Carla Bertola and Alberto Vitacchio appear in “And this is what it means when meaning’s over” and, as Bertola and Vitacchio put it, “are there to remember our friendship and love for him.”

1) senza titolo (1987) (1:47)
2) senza titolo (1987) (2:32)
3) And this is what it means when meaning’s over (1987, 1990) (6:50)

• A Homepage Away from Home for bpNichol (includes excerpts from Translating Apollinaire, Sharp Facts and Art Facts; a book of contexts, etc.):
• Blues
• First Screening: Computer Poems is available here in multiple formats
• The Martyrology.
  
  ++++++++++++++
• TTA 29 Continued: Workings of bpNichol’s Translating Apollinaire by guest writers and artists
• Christian Bök, “Nickel Linoleum.”
• Gil McElroy, “Ground States: The Visual Contexts of bpNichol.”
• Steven Scobie, “I Dreamed I Saw Hugo Ball: bpNichol, Dada, and Sound Poetry” (through J-STOR):
• Karl Young, “The Visual Poetry of bpNichol; A Brief Sketch.”

—bpNichol PennSound page edited by Lori Emerson

Contact Lori Emerson with comments or suggestions about
this page.
Thanks to Dennis Tedlock, James H. McNulty Chair, Department of English, University at Buffalo, for assistance with this project

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author's estate. © 2005 Eleanor Nichol for bpNichol. Used with permission of Eleanor Nichol. Distributed by PennSound.




RESOURCES:
bpNichol in UbuWeb Film